Rescue and relief efforts are continuing in the core disaster zone of mudslide-hit Gyirong Port in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, with heavy machinery and rescue teams conducting detailed searches of key locations.
The mudslide, caused by an ice-rock avalanche in Nepal, hit multiple locations along the China-Nepal border on Aug 26. Thirty-one people have been confirmed dead and 531 others remain missing as of 18:00 Friday, according to the local emergency response and rescue command center.
The core disaster zone of Gyirong Port covers about 54,000 square meters. Search teams have divided the area into seven sections, with heavy machinery and rescuers working together to carefully check key sites, including the joint inspection building, dormitories and parking areas.
Emergency lighting, including high-mast lights and drones, has been deployed at the site, along with more than 350 power supply units, including generator trucks and charging cabins.
"Over 2,300 rescue personnel and more than 8,800 pieces of equipment are now deployed across the area. Power and communications have been fully restored to the original port area," said Norbu Tsering, acting mayor of Xigaze.
More than 100 experts and technicians from departments of natural resources, water resources and others are on site with 150 sets of monitoring and rescue equipment, providing technical support for the operation.
Xizang's transportation authorities have widened and reinforced the National Highway 216, which was left cut off following last Wednesday's deadly mudslide. The widest sections now measure around 15 meters, allowing rescue vehicles and supplies to pass through.
Following the disaster, the China Meteorological Administration promptly shared Fengyun satellite data with Nepal's meteorological department, provided continuous 30-day forecasting services, and developed a customized version of its MAZU intelligent early-warning system to support Nepal's rescue and recovery efforts.
Rescue, relief efforts continue as teams search core area of mudslide-hit Gyirong Port
The 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) opened in the coastal city of Xiamen in east China's Fujian Province on Tuesday, drawing international exhibitors and delegations to connect global investors with key Chinese markets.
The four-day fair has brought together over 1,200 government agencies and business delegations from 129 countries and regions, which includes 48 of the world's top 50 economies by GDP, while 30 international organizations are also participating.
This year's event marks the biggest ever edition of the long-running trade fair, with the total exhibition space expanding to some 200,000 square meters. It also features 14 specialized exhibition zones, showcasing investment opportunities in various promising sectors including China's "new quality productive forces", an economic strategy which stresses high-tech innovation as a new growth driver, as well as the "Silk Road Maritime" initiative, which looks to resurrect ancient sea trading routes.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Zhou Zuyi, secretary of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, said Fujian will step up efforts to establish new mechanisms for a more open economy.
"We will keep expanding institutional opening-up and actively aligning with high-standard global trade rules. We're seizing the opportunity from the pilot program to expand services trade. We're also upgrading our free trade zones, focusing on tech innovation, green development, and digital economy. All to build a more open economy, faster," Zhou said.
This year's edition has also introduced a "dual guest countries of honor" mechanism for the first time, with Finland and Saudi Arabia jointly assuming the role. Two Chinese guest provinces have also been named, with the southern Guangdong and the northwestern Qinghai Province given the honor. The fair is structured around three core thematic sections, namely "Invest in China," "China's Outbound Investment," and "International Investment," and will also see more than 40 key investment promotion events, along with nearly 100 supporting activities being held.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Pedro Manuel Moreno, the Acting Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), emphasized that increasing investment in key strategic fields is essential, saying the trade fair offers a valuable platform for exchanges.
"Strategic sectors, like AI, semiconductors, critical minerals, or clean energy now account for almost half of the value of all new investment projects. This is why I believe gatherings like CIFIT matter more than ever, because the central challenge today is no longer only to mobilize more capital. It is to connect capital to the right projects, in the right places," he said.
First launched in 1997, the CIFIT, organized by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, has become an important platform for boosting investment and facilitating global development.
Global investors, business leaders gather in Xiamen for int'l investment, trade fair
